LPN Safety and Infection Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient on contact precautions needs to be transported to radiology. Which action is most appropriate before transport?
- Remove all PPE before leaving the room
- Notify the receiving department of precaution status (Correct answer)
- Place the patient in a negative-pressure room
- Cancel the transport until precautions are lifted
Correct answer: Notify the receiving department of precaution status
The receiving department must be notified so they can prepare appropriate isolation measures before the patient arrives.
Question 2: Which needle disposal practice is correct for an LPN?
- Recap the needle using the two-handed technique before disposal
- Place uncapped needles directly into a puncture-resistant sharps container (Correct answer)
- Bend the needle before placing it in a regular trash bin
- Recap using one hand if the patient is combative
Correct answer: Place uncapped needles directly into a puncture-resistant sharps container
Uncapped needles should be immediately placed into an approved puncture-resistant sharps container to prevent needlestick injuries.
Question 3: A patient returns from surgery with a Foley catheter. To prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), the nurse should:
- Irrigate the catheter with saline every shift
- Keep the drainage bag at the level of the bladder
- Ensure the drainage bag remains below the level of the bladder (Correct answer)
- Clamp the catheter tubing when ambulating the patient
Correct answer: Ensure the drainage bag remains below the level of the bladder
The drainage bag must always be kept below bladder level to prevent backflow of urine, which can introduce bacteria.
Question 4: Which situation requires the nurse to use an N95 respirator rather than a standard surgical mask?
- Caring for a patient with MRSA wound infection
- Entering the room of a patient with active tuberculosis (Correct answer)
- Changing the dressing of a patient with C. difficile
- Providing care to a patient on droplet precautions for influenza
Correct answer: Entering the room of a patient with active tuberculosis
Active tuberculosis requires airborne precautions including a fit-tested N95 respirator because TB bacilli are transmitted via airborne droplet nuclei.
Question 5: A nurse accidentally splashes blood into her eyes. What is the FIRST action she should take?
- Complete an incident report immediately
- Flush the eyes with water or saline for 15 minutes (Correct answer)
- Notify the charge nurse and await instructions
- Apply antibiotic eye drops
Correct answer: Flush the eyes with water or saline for 15 minutes
Immediate irrigation of the eyes with water or saline for at least 15 minutes is the priority first action after mucous membrane exposure to blood.
Question 6: A nurse is caring for a patient with scabies. Which type of precautions is required?
- Airborne precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Contact precautions (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Contact precautions
Scabies is transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact, requiring contact precautions including gloves and gown.
Question 7: When performing wound care, the nurse notes the patient's wound has purulent drainage and a foul odor. Which is the priority nursing action?
- Document findings and continue with routine wound care
- Increase wound irrigation frequency
- Notify the healthcare provider and obtain a wound culture (Correct answer)
- Apply a stronger antiseptic solution to the wound
Correct answer: Notify the healthcare provider and obtain a wound culture
Signs of wound infection require notifying the provider and obtaining a culture to identify the causative organism and guide treatment.
LPN Safety and Infection Control 2
A patient on contact precautions needs to be transported to radiology.
Which action is most appropriate before transport?